Current-deflector.



fing, briefly, of a plurality'of anchor-niem-, ybers dis osed in the bed ofthe stream, a. main ca le supported transversely of the,A

ftially parallel :with 'the thread of the', stream Ito, connect' the"l anchormembers withthev `'transverse cable, p and a plurality of fascnes "members therein, and a cable supported' JAMES M. MAKER, OF FBEMONT, NEBRASKA.

CURBENT-DEFLECTOB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Api'. 15, 1913.

Application led September 30, 1912. Serial No. 723,097.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. MAHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Current-Deilectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement incurrent deficctors for use in siltbearing streams, to cause the formation of sand bars wherever desired, for preventing erosion of the banks or cutting away of land adjacent thereto.

It is also useful for the purpose of reclaiming lands from shallow streams. The object of the invention, broadly, is

...to provide simple means 'which may be quickly applied to streams Aand river beds to ,effectively prevent erosion or for .the reclamation of the soil, said means consist- 'streambelow or down-stream, fromthe `an'chor-members', cables extending substanconnected withfthe transverse cable.

' The invention-,consists of the novel conf "struction, combination and arrangement of parts as described -herein and claimed, and l"as illustrated in the drawing, wherein,"-

Figurel is a view, partly in section and broken, taken longitudinally of a stream to show a part of a river bed, a water line and anchor-members, one of said anchor-members being in longitudinal section, and an 'arrangement of cables for supporting the fascines. Fig. 2 is a broken, plan view, showing the banks of a stream, anchor- Itransversely of the stream, to which the v-fascines-are connected.` ,Fig 3 is a detail view, showing a clamp inengagement with 'two of the cables.

Referring now to the drawing fora. more particular description, numeral 1 indicates an anchor-member which may be disposed between the banks of a stream opposite to a suitable, stationary supp'ort 2; and extendbetween' and secured tothese members isa main, transverse cable 3,. upon which may be secured the fascines 4. The stream ows in the Ydirection indicated bythe ar-v row, and the. strain upon` cable 3 downstream may be considerable since it is burdened with a large number of fascines, and -in order to sustain this cable and to prevent it from assuming a bowed shape, a plurality of anchor-members 5 are employed, these members being substantially of the same construction as member l. 'l Members 5 are disposed up-stream from cable 3, and atl 6 are indicated connecting cables which extend between and are mounted upon anchor-members. 5 and the transverse cable 3. A

- AIt will be understood that the purpose of the fascines supported as described, is to cause the gradual formation of a bed or bar. of soil. or `silt .7 below said zfascines.A

Any suitable2 number of anchor-members 5 may be. employed, and.A the dist-ance between `these anchors andthe inain cable 3 maybe greater.l or less, as desired, andHV after the desired deposit of soil or siltnha's been made,

l g While anchor-members 1 and '5H' may ,have other formsthan shown in the drawing,

theyfe'ach consist, preferably, of tubular sections a,1 .b-and' c, connect-ed by ,pipe couplings Sgand-joform com lete" tubes or .pipes 10 olfji'iy desired lengtA or diameter, and these ,couplings mayI bel provided with.

staples or rings 11, closure-caps 12. being provided for the upper terminals of sections a, the lower open ends of the lower sections having collars 13 mounted thereon.

At 14 is indicated a. suitable weight or cylindrical lhead which maybe conveniently molded of concrete material. It is provided, preferably, withv an aperture 15 extending longitudinally therethrough', and is' formed downwardly tapered near it's bottoni; and it may be readily Vmounted uponv pipe-section c between collar 13 and couplinl 9 which operate to .hold this cylindricafmember upon said pipe-section. i

The connected pipes 10 with `heads 14 mou ted thereon may be driven into the bed of t e stream byany suitable means, or they Amay be'snnk by'use 'of water under ion pressure introdnced.-throug'h-ppes l16, the

and thereby dislodging and removing the ground below heads 14, so that these anchormembers will sink by gravity; and when it is desired to remove said 'members for use 5 in a different location, the ground may be loosened by the same means as described, so that they may be more readily lifted'from their seatings.

The fascines may be constructed of any o desired material, and willows or a quantity of brush may be employed to advantage. This may be bound or' tied to form elongated bundles and disposed side by side as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and the upper ends of the bundles may be secured to cable 3, at longitudinal intervals, by strands 17.

To prevent the bundles from {loaiiig on the surface of the water in swift moving 2o streams, and in order that they maybe maintained.substantially upright or, in a position to more 'effectively resist the force of the current, strand A1S and a plurality of strands 19 are employed. Strand 18 is secured to the lower -ends of the bundles and is disposed substantially parallel with the main cable 3. Strands 19 are connected .with and at longitudinal intervals of thestrand 18, and after extending downwardly so the rings ofA t e couplings 9-of anchor-members 5, they ma be wound upon or otherwise secured to rackets 20 of sleeves 21i .Sleeves 21.- arepreferably longitudinally 3'5 adjustable upon the Vupper sections a by bcing keyed thereon, so that the bracketsmav be'conveniently reached; and as is obvious, if the length offstrands 19,' between the brackets and fascines is decreased, the strand 18 will be moved upwardly of the stream,and a. control is therefore provided for maintaining the fascines at a predetermined inclination longitudinally of the stream, and this inclination -inay be changed wheneverrequired: and this control is of advantage since the depth or velocity of the current may change, and the control is such that the fascines may be disposed in au uprightA position, or substaiitjiall y so. to more 50 effectively cause the silt to be deposited. Means are provided for a vertical control of cable 3 to cause it to be disposed above or at a greater or lesser distance below the sur'` fiicecf the water, to control the position of the fascines. Cables 6 may each `have a length sutlicient to extend from couplings 8 to couplings 9 of anchor-members 5 to provide portions d and e of varying lengt-lis. Byuse ofthe U-shaped screw-clamp or f 6 may removably secured, between its terminals, upon cable 3 in a well known mannen l By use of these holders or clamps, the-length of portions d and e may be changedgfand as is obvious, if an a d]ust and inclinedl ,from 'strand :18' to traverse' Vcable and said Aanchor-inem clampingehook 22 (Fig. 3), each of cables ment is made by use of a clamp22 so that the length of a, portion e` of 'a cable 6 is decreased, portion d will be proportionately increased, with the result Vthat cable 3 will be lowered in the water. This is a desirable feature since the depth of the water, transversely of the stream, may not be uniform; and on account of rains or freshets, the depth of the water vmay be changed. ByA use of the simple means thus described, the 75 fascines may be conveniently disposed at such a depth in the wate'. as may be required to cause the silt to'- be deposited to the best advantage.

Having fully described the construction, a 17. further explanation relating to o eration is not necessary. The parts are' ew and simple-and may be conveniently arranged; the anchors and cables may be readily iiistalled or placed vin the positions described; S and by -reason of the control provided,'ordinary brush,willow s or other inexpensive .material ma be employed for the fascines.

lVhat'I' c aim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,- 90

' 1. A. currentdeflector, comprising a cable", maintained transversely of the stream" a quantity of brush connected -with said cable and 'disposed 'dependingly -in the strea'm,fa

lnralit of.anchormembers disposed iii-the 95 ed an upwardly of the stream; a'nda plurality o cables extending betweenand connecting the transverse cable said 'anchor-members.

2. A currentdeflector, comprising a; cable maintained' transversely vof the `stream`,"la quantity of brushconnected with saidjcable i' and'dispos'ed'dependingly in the stream', a plurality of anchor-members disposed inthe bed of the stream upward] from.th'etrans '105 verse cable; a plurality vo strands" extend-- ing betw'een and connect-ing the transverse ers; and means" connected 'with the transverse cable and'. A anchor-members'for causing a'vertical iid- 110 justment of said transverse cable,

3. current delector, comprising, .in -L combination with a plurality of anchormembers disposed in the bed of the stream,- a cable disposed transversely. of the stream '115, and downwardly thereof from said anchor?=- 'j members,v strands connecting the-- anchorLl--' members and transverse cable-a 'plural1ty .f of fascinesarranged side by-side aiidjcon?. y nected with the transverse-cable; and meana4 connected. with the. transverse] cablegand" anchorancmbers for maintaining-the at a predetermined inclination '-longitu nally of thestream.

4. A current defiector, comprising, in combination withgau plurality o f 'ancho members disposed ii i the bed' of astream, a cable disposedtmiisverselyl tif-,the str in and downwardly .thereoff froin'said. anche members; a-.p1urality of strands between and connected with the anchormembers and the transverse cable; a plurality of fascines arranged side by side and connected with said transverse cable; means' connected with the 'transverse cable and anchor-members for maintaining the fascines at a predetermined inclination longitudinally of the stream, and means to change the longitudinal inclination othe fascines.

5. A current deflector, comprising, in combination with a plurality of pipes provided with cylindrical, tapered heads disposed in the stream to provide anchor-members; a cable disposed transversely of the'stream downwardly of the current from the anchor members and provided with clamping devices; fascines connected with said cable;

and a plurality of strands, each having its terminals connected with the pipe of an anchor-member and adapted to be engaged between its terminals at longitudinal intervals by one of said clamping-devices.

6. A current deflector, comprising, in combination with a plurality of anchor r`nembers, a cable disposed transversely'of the stream and downwardly thereof from the anchor members strands connecting the anchor members and the transverse cable; a plurality of fascines connected with the transverse cable, and a plurality of strands arranged for longitudinal adjustment upon said anchor members and connected with said fascines.

7. A current defiector, com rising, in combination with a plurality o anchor members, a first cable disposed transversely of the stream and downwardly thereof from the anchor members; strands connecting the anchor` members and the first cable; a plurality of fascines connected with said rst cable; a second cable arranged to connect said fascines; and a plurality of strands arranged for longitudinal adjustment upon said anchor members and connected with the second cable.

8. A current defiector, comprising, in combnation with a plurality of anchor members, a cable disposed transversely of the stream and downwardly thereof from the anchor members; a plurality of fascines connected with said cable; and a plurality of strands adapted to be disposed stridingly upon the cable and provided with means for longitudinal adjustment while mounted at their terminals upon the anchor members.

In testimony whereof I have attixed my signature in presence of two witiiesses.

JAMES M. MAI-IER. 

